Let’s talk ‘Soy ’

Soy protein that is!

You may hear lots of different things about it, as I do and it’s hard to know what to make of it. I am not really one for Soy protein supplements as I like my whey protein and have never got into the Soy thing. I feel that you should choose what you think is best for you and maybe research into it a little yourself. Now lots of different magazine’s and website will make comparisons between ‘Soy and Whey’. They base this on a number of different criteria for instance, biological value, amino acid and protein efficiency ratio etc.

So all I want to do it talk about Soy…..

Soy has been around for centuries, and use all around the world. It is used in large amounts by Asian cultures. Soy protein is a complete protein unlike all other plant sources. Other plant sources don’t always contain the right amount of amino acids so they are classed as incomplete. This is why vegetarians have to combine lots of different foods in their diet to get the right amino acids to form a complete protein. Soy protein has also shown to contain extra amounts of certain amino acids, which in turn improve the nutritional value of other foods in someone diet. One of the downsides to Soy is that as a plant it can grow almost anywhere, you are probably asking yourself, why is this a ‘down side’. Soy can grow in soil that has little or no nutritional value to it. This means the Soy plant with not be-able to absorb the minerals it needs to be a great protein source, meaning the plant will be a low quality food source. Also research has shown that soy protein isolate, has high phytate content. Phytate has binding properties that blocks the absorption of minerals like zinc, potassium, magnesium and calcium which are important to the way your body functions. Protein is broken down into amino acids as I have said previously and Trypsin is this important enzyme. Soy protein isolate content not just Phytate but also Trypsin inhibitors. Trypsin inhibitors disrupt the breakdown of protein into amino acids, so this goes against why we take protein supplements. Now this is the negative things I know about Soy protein isolate but the good things to Soy are:

Soy – Good!

Soy is low in fat so has shown to reduce cholesterol levels and is very evade heart disease. Research shows it helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis, and is beneficial for women on the edge of menopause. One of the best discoveries on soy is the related to prostate cancer.

So to finish I would personally say you are better with a Whey protein then a Soy Protein supplement because of the inhibitors and at the end of the day it’s about taking protein supplement of fitness benefits and not osteoporosis, menopause and prostate cancer.